You two have more in common than you think. For example, here are a couple of stories, one a prequel to the other. First, from the AP, wondering if “birth control” is “preventive medicine.”

For many medical and public health experts, there’s no debate.

“There is clear and incontrovertible evidence that family planning saves lives and improves health,” said obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. David Grimes, an international family planning expert who teaches medicine at the University of North Carolina. “Contraception rivals immunization in dollars saved for every dollar invested. Spacing out children allows for optimal pregnancies and optimal child rearing. Contraception is a prototype of preventive medicine.”

But U.S. Catholic bishops say pregnancy is a healthy condition, not an illness. In comments filed with the Department of Health and Human Services, the bishops say they oppose any requirement to cover contraceptives or sterilization as preventive care…

So far, most other religious conservatives have stayed out of the debate, though that could change. Some say they are concerned about any requirement that might include the morning-after pill. The Food and Drug Administration classifies it as birth control; some religious conservatives see it as an abortion drug.

So why is birth control like stand-up? It’s allabouttiming. Thank you! Meanwhile, back in the old country, several decades down the road for government health care, this springtime story, from AFP:

Channel 4 will air the first TV advert for abortion services next week, a sexual health company said Thursday, sparking a furious response from pro-life groups.

Marie Stopes International, which runs clinics across the country, said the ads for advice on unplanned pregnancy and abortion would provide much-needed information on where to turn for help.

The campaign . . . asks viewers “Are you late?” in reference to a woman who has missed her period.